cognitive behavior therapy
Postpartum OCD Therapy Near Me | Near San Jose or Online in California
Becoming a new parent is full of joy, but, for some, it also brings intrusive, unwanted thoughts.
If you find yourself plagued by fears you might hurt your child, doubt your ability to parent safely, or replay “what if” scenarios over and over, you may be experiencing Postpartum (or Perinatal) OCD.
I offer specialized CBT and ERP therapy for Postpartum OCD, available in-person at my Campbell office near San Jose or online throughout California.
Understanding Pregnancy and Postpartum OCD
OCD affects millions of individuals, but for new parents, it can take on a unique and often overwhelming form. Postpartum OCD is a subtype of OCD that can occur during pregnancy or after childbirth. It involves intensely distressing thoughts or mental images, sometimes violent or taboo in nature, about harming your baby, neglecting their safety, or failing as a parent, despite having no desire to act on them.
Common obsessions include:
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What if I I make a terrible mistake and hurt my baby when I’m sleep-deprived?
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What if I make the wrong choices and they negatively affect my baby?
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What if I don’t love my baby enough?
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What if these thoughts mean I’m a bad mother?
These obsessions often trigger compulsions such as:
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Repeatedly checking on the baby (monitoring breathing, ensuring they’re safe)
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Seeking constant reassurance from partners, family, or providers
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Avoiding being alone with the baby
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Mentally reviewing every action to “prove” you didn’t harm your child
The Impact of Perinatal OCD
1. Intrusive, Disturbing Thoughts
Repeated, unwanted thoughts or images about something bad happening to your baby. Many parents with OCD report constantly worrying that they might hurt their baby, even though they have no desire to do so.
2. Repetitive Behaviors or Mental Rituals
Time consuming actions or mental rituals, like checking your baby for signs of harm, counting, or repeating tasks in a very specific way.
3. Overwhelming Anxiety About Baby's Safety
Your worry makes it nearly impossible to relax. Many parents find themselves hypervigilant, constantly checking on baby and researching to make sure they are doing things correctly.
4. Feeling Detached and Disconnected
It's hard to to fully enjoy time with your baby when you're consumed by fears or anxieties that you can’t control.
5. High Need for Control
You may also feel the need to follow rigid routines or engage in repeated rituals to ensure your baby stays safe, like obsessively sanitizing baby items or adhering to strict feeding or nap schedules.
6. Fear of "Losing Control"
You may also find yourself worrying that you could act on your intrusive thoughts or fears, even though you have no intention of doing so.
My Approach to Pregnancy & Postpartum OCD
If you’re juggling the demands of new parenthood while also experiencing intrusive, distressing thoughts, you need a therapist who understands OCD and the challenges of the perinatal period. My approach combines structure and empathy to help you move from fear to confidence.
What you can expect:
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Collaborative Assessment & Goal–Setting
We begin by mapping out your specific fears and rituals, then we will set personalized, achievable goals for reducing those behaviors. -
Gradual, Values-Driven Exposures
Together, we’ll design exposures that mirror real-world parenting tasks, (e.g., holding or bathing your baby without checking), working from least to most anxiety-provoking so you can build your confidence as a parent. -
Skill-Building With CBT & ERP
You’ll learn practical strategies to challenge unhelpful beliefs (such as “I must keep checking to keep my baby safe”) and resist compulsive urges to retrain your brain’s natural anxiety response. -
Acceptance & Self-Compassion
Parenting already demands so much of you. We’ll weave in techniques, like mindfulness and self-compassion practices, to help you sit with discomfort, acknowledge the difficulty of these thoughts, and stay connected to the love and values that matter most. -
Ongoing Support & Adjustment
With each session, we’ll review your progress, troubleshoot setbacks, and adjust your exposure hierarchy. My goal is to ensure you feel empowered, not overwhelmed, as you reclaim confidence in your parenting and in yourself.
By blending evidence-based methods with a warm, supportive stance, I’ll help you break free from postpartum OCD’s grip and rediscover the joy of parenting.
Recovery from Pregnancy & Postpartum OCD
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How do I make an appointment?Complete the Potential Client Form and I will be in touch with you within 24 hours to set up a consultation call. If we are a fit, we will will book an intake session from there. After our initial meeting, most clients meet with me weekly for 45-minute sessions, ideally at the same day and a time each week. We will meet more or less depending on your needs. If you need to change your appointment time or cancel, I require 48 hours notice to avoid a full session charge.
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How much does therapy cost and do you take insurance?My fees are $340 per 60 minute initial assessment session and $255 per 45-minute therapy session. I am an out-of-network provider for all insurance panels. If you have a PPO you may be eligible for out of network benefits and I will submit electronic claims on your behalf so that you may be partially reimbursed for your CBT sessions. You can contact your insurance company directly to find out more information about your out of network coverage.
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Do you offer in-person/face -to-face sessions?YES! It has been so good to be back in the office! I offer both in person and online therapy. My in person office is in Campbell, CA, serving the Silicon Valley region. I can provide online therapy to residents throughout California.
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Do you work with children and teens?Most of my therapy clients are adults, young adults and older teenagers. I don’t often work with children under age 11 but if you feel your child could be a good fit for me I am happy to speak with you. I also offer Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) treatment for parents seeking to help their children with anxiety disorders and OCD.
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What will our sessions be like?CBT is more structured than other types of therapy. We will start by setting an agenda and intention for the session. Then the majority of our session time will be spent on discussing your problems and applying CBT interventions. We will end with an action plan for you to take into your week. CBT, is at its core, flexible and collaborative so we will tailor our sessions to your needs.
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How long does therapy take?It truth is that treatment length varies a lot! The severity of your symptoms and how long you've had them , your motivation to work outside of session, and your life circumstances will all factor in to treatment length. Most clients start to feel some noticeable relief within three months and may achieve their goals by six months. For others it can take a year or more.
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What is a Good Faith Estimate?You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
Start Therapy for Postpartum OCD Today
You don’t have to face your intrusive thoughts alone. With proven, collaborative treatment, you can reclaim your confidence as a parent.
Contact me today to schedule a consultation or learn more about Postpartum OCD therapy and perinatal OCD support.
Schedule a Consultation
Get a feel for my style and get your questions answered during our no-obligation phone screen.
Located in CAMPBELL near SAN JOSE
Address
51 E Campbell Ave
Campbell, CA 98005
What to EXPECT
My office is located near San Jose in Campbell in the historic Heritage Village Offices. Conveniently located near restaurants and shops, my office is quiet with a peaceful courtyard view. There is plenty of parking. When you arrive at the Campbell Ave entrance, you will be greeted by our front desk staff and I show to to my private office.
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How do I make an appointment?Complete the Potential Client Form and I will be in touch with you within 24 hours to set up a consultation call. If we are a fit, we will will book an intake session from there. After our initial meeting, most clients meet with me weekly for 45-minute sessions, ideally at the same day and a time each week. We will meet more or less depending on your needs. If you need to change your appointment time or cancel, I require 48 hours notice to avoid a full session charge.
-
How much does therapy cost and do you take insurance?My fees are $340 per 60 minute initial assessment session and $255 per 45-minute therapy session. I am an out-of-network provider for all insurance panels. If you have a PPO you may be eligible for out of network benefits and I will submit electronic claims on your behalf so that you may be partially reimbursed for your CBT sessions. You can contact your insurance company directly to find out more information about your out of network coverage.
-
Do you offer in-person/face -to-face sessions?YES! It has been so good to be back in the office! I offer both in person and online therapy. My in person office is in Campbell, CA, serving the Silicon Valley region. I can provide online therapy to residents throughout California.
-
Do you work with children and teens?Most of my therapy clients are adults, young adults and older teenagers. I don’t often work with children under age 11 but if you feel your child could be a good fit for me I am happy to speak with you. I also offer Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) treatment for parents seeking to help their children with anxiety disorders and OCD.
-
What will our sessions be like?CBT is more structured than other types of therapy. We will start by setting an agenda and intention for the session. Then the majority of our session time will be spent on discussing your problems and applying CBT interventions. We will end with an action plan for you to take into your week. CBT, is at its core, flexible and collaborative so we will tailor our sessions to your needs.
-
How long does therapy take?It truth is that treatment length varies a lot! The severity of your symptoms and how long you've had them , your motivation to work outside of session, and your life circumstances will all factor in to treatment length. Most clients start to feel some noticeable relief within three months and may achieve their goals by six months. For others it can take a year or more.
-
What is a Good Faith Estimate?You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
About CAITLYN
I am a licensed marriage and family therapist with a master’s degree in clinical psychology. I have been working as a therapist since 2009, specializing in Cognitive Behavior Therapy for anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorders. Before starting my own practice in 2021 I worked at a specialty anxiety/OCD group practice for many years, as well as community mental health, and school settings.
My practice is located in Campbell, CA in the South SF Bay Area, near San Jose, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Los Altos, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Cupertino.
I have been working primarily with clients struggling with anxiety since 2012. Read more about my speciality training here.
My approach to anxiety and OCD treatment is compassionate and personalized. This work is challenging but we will go at your pace and focus on the symptoms that are getting in the way of your life.
Ready to get started or have more questions?
